The Best of Three
by Cheesymuffins
Summary: Zuko learns that when you decide to eavesdrop, you might want to stay until the end of the conversation. Implied Zutara
1. Assumptions

Oneshot, implied Zutara

This little plot bunny woke me up and actually got me out of bed- JUST so I could write it. Does anyone have some kind of spray that prevents this?

So basically Aang and the gang plus Zuko and Iroh take down Azula thanks to Zuko's little trick he pulled on Azula (hey we can dream can't we?) and everythings goes back to normal. They are all currently staying at the palace with the King (who've I recently named King Gumby) and are planning what they should do next.

I don't own Avatar and its a darn good thing that I don't either. If I did, Momo would actually be a man who was turned into a lemur and Toph would be fifty feet tall.

* * *

Zuko was walking through the Earth King's palace after a long meeting with Earth King, his uncle and the council of five. After a long week of Aang's nagging, he needed this walk. Lately, Aangs been wanting him to play a weird game he invented called Bending ball. Aang said that two people on a team used bending or various weapons to keep the ball from falling on their side of a net or something like that. Every time Aang asked, Zuko used some form of excuse not to go, but said he'd go the next time. It held the small airbender as he would laugh and run away. 

As Zuko walked through the halls, he heard familiar voices coming from Katara's room. Not wanting to be rude, Zuko tried to ignore them, but when he heard his name he stopped just outside the door.

"It's not fair! Why do _you_ get Zuko?!" He recognized the voice as the blind earthbender.

Zuko peeked inside the room and saw Katara and the blind girl sitting on the bed. It seemed they were having an argument about him.

"Because it'd be unfair if you got three choices while I'm only stuck with two," Katara said crossing her arms.

Zuko raised his eyebrow. He knew that eavesdropping was low and wrong, but he was too interested about what exactly they were talking about to care about his morals.

Toph exclaimed, "Three? What three?"

"Aang, Sokka, and Zuko! Duh!" Katara stated, as if it was obvious. "The only choices I have are Aang and Zuko."

"Then why not Aang?"

Katara folded her hands in her lap, "Aang's a nice guy but," Katara sighed. "let's face it, he's just too short."

Zuko's eyes widened as he realized what they were talking about. They were fighting over him and it seemed like Katara was winning.

Zuko was obviously very pleased with this

"Yea that's true…" Toph thought for a second, "Then why not Sokka?"

Katara gave Toph a deadpan look, "Toph, he's my brother,"

Toph smiled, "What's that got to do with it?"

Katara rolled her eyes and remarked sarcastically that she and Sokka would fight too much.

Toph laughed, "I know, I'm just messing with you. So I can't have Zuko because you don't want Sokka right?"

Katara nodded, "Right. And because I called dibs on Zuko first,"

Zuko felt his cheeks heat up and he walked away from Katara's room as quietly as he could with a small smile on his face.

Katara sighed and looked at the ceiling, "Besides, Sokka said he'd never play bending ball again after Aang knocked him out with that rock,"

END

* * *

(slaps self) this has to be the worst thing I have ever written. Do I continue? Only if people ask. 

I must give thanks to my friend Gordo for helping me edit all of my stories. You rock dude

I really should be finishing FFF! (slaps self) plot bunnies hate my _long_ and _important _stories, but they love these oneshots.


	2. A Flip of The Coin

Continued by reviewer's request

I know, Iroh and Zuko are a little OOC, but hey, I tried.

I don't Avatar: the Last Airbender. Why? Just read below.

* * *

Zuko sat on his window sill staring at the wall that separated him from the large, bustling city. He was contemplating over what he had overheard from Katara.

Zuko sighed, "Why would she like someone like me?"

"Why would 'who' like you?" Iroh magically appeared next to Zuko. Zuko sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Don't do that Uncle," Zuko said annoyed.

His uncle chuckled, "Sorry nephew. So, who were we talking about?"

Zuko's eyes widened slightly and he turned from his uncle. "No one."

"Alright Zuko, I will leave you to your thoughts," Iroh placed his arm across his face and pretended to weep. "Who'd want to speak to an old man like me anyways?" He smiled from under his sleeve.

Zuko's eyes softened and, with a sigh, bided for his uncle to sit. Iroh smiled and took out a tea set from his robe.

When someone pulls out a tea set from their robe, any normal person would freak out and jump out the window in panic, but Zuko had gotten used to the odd phenomenon involving his uncle and tea. And really, at this point in his life, _nothing_ surprised Zuko anymore.

"So," Iroh said, pouring tea for both of them. "What's on your mind?"

Zuko fiddled with his tea cup, deciding whether he should tell his uncle. On one hand, Iroh could take him seriously and give him all sorts of wonderful advice on the subject of girls. One the _other_ hand, his uncle could jumped up and run throughout the palace exclaiming about grand nieces and nephews, and embarrassing Zuko to no end by grabbing Katara and asking her when the wedding would be.

It was a flip of the coin.

Heads? Or tails?

Understanding? Or humiliation?

A discussion on what to do? Or wedding plans?

Advice on how to deal with girls? Or how to deliver children?

"…Uncle, I-I think…Katara-," Zuko took a plunge. "I think Katara likes me." The words felt strange as they left his tongue. There was an odd flutter in his stomach as he thought of the prospect of Katara liking him. He looked at Iroh's face and mentally sighed when he saw a soft smile on the retired general's face.

"Well Zuko, how does that make you feel?" Iroh said sipping his tea.

Zuko was silent. He wasn't exactly sure what he felt. He remembered feeling happy as he overheard the girls' conversation, now he was just confused. "I don't know…"

Iroh nodded and finished his tea, "Well nephew, perhaps you should ask yourself what this means to you before you decide on anything," Zuko nodded sadly, not satisfied with his uncle's answer. It seemed that every other emotion he expelled was something he had to mull over. Well, at least his uncle wasn't-

"I'M GONNA HAVE GRAND CHILDREN!" Zuko watched in horror as his uncle leaped up and ran out into the hall, surprisingly swift for an old man.

"Uncle!" Zuko desperately called for his uncle in one last attempt at gaining Iroh his sanity.

Zuko heard his uncle running down the main hall, yelling things about children and wedding themes. There was only one way that hall led to.

The kitchen.

Zuko, already knowing the hallways and all the shortcuts, speeded down a branching hallway knowing that direction was going to get him to the kitchen faster then his uncle.

Unfortunately, luck apparently wasn't on his side that day, for right after turning a corner, Zuko bumped into the _last_ person he wanted to see.

Katara

The sudden motion for his feet to stop caused him to lose his balance, but Katara side-stepped Zuko quick enough to dodge him.

"Zuko are you alright?" Katara asked worriedly, trying to help him from his face-plant.

"Yea, I'm fine," Zuko slowly got up dusting himself off. He wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible before his uncle suddenly appeared out of thin air again to discuss wedding plans, but before he could excuse himself, Katara interrupted him.

"Zuko, I been looking for you," Zuko's eyes widened, "so I could ask you something."

A deep blush crawled across Zuko's cheeks. He wasn't ready for this! He still wasn't sure how he felt! "Um, well, I'll talk to you later, I need to find my uncle," and before Katara could protest, Zuko sprinted down the hall until he was positive he was far enough away from her. He leaned against a wall and face palmed himself.

Zuko was going to _kill_ his uncle.

* * *

Anybody hear? M. Night Shyamalan is actually making a movie for Avatar: The last Airbender titled "Avatar", if you want more info, go to avatarspirit(dot)net 


	3. Undying love

Chapter three...DONE!! its pretty short though. Meh, oh well.

Katara's POV!

I dont own Avatar: the last airbender. I want some pizza!

* * *

Katara walked through the hallway searching for Zuko. She knew that it was a futile effort; he had been ignoring her for the last few days. Katara tried everything she could think of to get the prince's attention; calmly asking, sitting next to him at lunch, chasing him down, explosives… And every time he'd make some excuse to leave and then run out of the room. Heck all she had to do was sit down in the same room as him and he'd sprint away! And worst of all Iroh, the one person who could explain Zuko's strange action, was nowhere to be found. 

Was it her? Did she smell bad or something? All she wanted to do was ask him to be her bending ball partner! It wasn't like she was confessing her undying love for him.

Katara laughed, "Undying love, I have to tell Sokka that one." She said to no one

A strange noise from a nearby closet shook her out of her thoughts. Katara cautiously walked to the closet and slowly opened the door. She screamed when a body fell out of the closet. Calming herself down she realized that it was Iroh, and he was still alive. He had been bound and gagged and shoved into a closet. Who would do such a thing?

"Iroh! Are you alright? Who did this to you?" Katara said helping the old man up.

"Thank you Miss Katara, it was quite stuffy in there," Iroh said dusting himself off. "I'm afraid my nephew did this to me, I think I went too far with the wedding cake…" He drifted off thinking.

"Wedding cake?…" Katara shook her head, "That's it," Katara stomped off to Zuko's room. "He's gone too far this time."

Iroh grabbed her sleeve, "No, no, I'm fine really. My nephew has been frustrated lately, you must understand. It was my fault," He led her off in the direction of the kitchen, "I'll make some tea, come keep an old man company," He waddled off with Katara in tow.

Katara sniffed the air, "How long have you been in that closet?"

Iroh didn't answer.

"So…" Katara started off slow. "Do you know what's wrong with Zuko lately? He's been acting weird."

Iroh hid a smile, "Weird?" He pretended not to know what she was talking about. "How weird?"

"Well, every time I try to talk to him, he runs out of the room with some excuse to find you or Aang, he avoids me at all times of the day, and he's completely ignoring the fact that I exist," Katara said with a huff, "Is it me? Do I annoy him or something?"

"You must understand my nephew is…" Iroh looked for the right word. "Shy, I guess you could say. Around female company at least."

Katara scoffed, "He wasn't "shy" when we first met,"

Iroh chuckled, "Yes, but now you've both come to meet on different grounds. He's so used to trying to kill all of you; he's not sure how to act anymore. He's at a very awkward point in his life, with everything happening to him at once."

Katara looked at her feet, "All of us know what you mean," She looked at Iroh, "that's why we want Zuko to play bending ball with us so we can become friends, but he runs away before I can ask him to be my partner."

Iroh's eyes widened. He remembered the little avatar wanting him to play that game with them, but he dismissed him saying he was too old. "You want him as your partner?"

Katara paused, "Well yea. Sokke refuses to play since he got hurt so I need a new partner. And until Zuko stops ignoring me, we can't play."

Iroh was silent for a moment. Then a candle went off in his head. "Don't worry, I'll speak to him for you. Now let's have that tea."

Katara smiled, "Thank you Iroh,"

* * *

Ho ho ho! What is Iroh planning?! 

Today is a dark day indeed for many Avatar fans... Today, on February 3rd, 2007, youtube tore down all of its A:TLA fanvids, accusing the vidmakers of copyright infrigement. Any and all help will be appreciated, just go to youtube and comfort a greiving vidmaker, we need all the support we can get.

RIP Avatar fanvids...


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